Sloth it…Sometimes! – Anthea Francis

Let me introduce you to Sir Liam John Barker who lives in an indoor tropical rainforest called: The Green Planet in Dubai. This bio-dome is both charming and captivating, More commonly known as Mr Barker, he is a two-toed sloth and very loved by his caregivers. He takes about a month to digest a meal and only uses the restroom once a week. No doubt sloths are the slowest mammals. He sleeps for 15-20 hours a day and I consider it an honour to have seen him awake and eat. My sister and I stood there for a while, quite a while, to see the slow… sloth… in… action.

So much slowed to sloth’s pace in lockdown 2020. In fact, there were many things that came to a complete standstill, midst the global chaos. Despite the difficulties, many remarked on the significance of this slow time to catch their breath and reflect on their priorities. Things then opened up and accelerated. We hurried to try and save the year, accompanied by increased emotional, strategic and economic intensity.

I remember thinking one December Friday afternoon last year that I have to slow things down and compellingly did from that day. While it’s an unusual thought for ‘finish-line-focused’ me to have, I was grateful for it in the days that followed. Here’s why.

Slowing things down allows for sufficient refueling. The slow movement of sloths supports their low-energy diet. Make sure your input and output are well supported. Slowing down does not mean that you are losing. If you’re continually overextended, each move becomes more challenging and requires more energy than usual. It may seem as if you’re winning, but without sufficient refueling, you may not notice the many sacrificial losses at high speed. Business is often glorified in our culture and Brené Brown so rightly states that exhaustion is seen as a status symbol. Make sure you slow down long enough for the bigger win. Lao Tzu reminds us that nature does not hurry; yet everything is accomplished. Slow down to refuel sufficiently.

Slowing things down increases endurance. Sloths are strong swimmers. They are able to swim across rivers and between islands using their long arms to paddle. In order to do this, they are able slow down their metabolism even further, which helps them hold their breath for as long as 40 minutes underwater. Slowing down does not mean your capacity is decreasing, but rather, it prepares you for the necessary capacity down the line.Lindsey Eryn says, “Your productivity is not measured by your speed. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is to slow down – and pace yourself so that you have the endurance you need to finish what you started.” Slow down for the long haul.

Slowing things down brings fresh perspective vital for purpose and progress. Sloths spend most of their time hanging upside-down from branches; some even give birth from that position! They make deliberate movements and only move, very slowly, when necessary. Slowing down does not mean you’re regressing, but rather, it releases time to review and gain fresh insight and wisdom. Hang tight sometimes to grasp another view. This helps to make deliberative moves towards purpose and progress rather than reactive moves.Take note of Cantor’s wise words: “It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast; you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” Slow down to make purposeful moves.

So, as this new year begins, remember to slow it down at times. Plan your sloth slots ahead of time. Keep refueling sufficiently in order to endure and progress with purpose!

And just as baby sloths lick the lips of their mothers to get acquainted with the sloth menu, let’s teach the next generation that it’s ok to sloth it… sometimes!

By Anthea Francis